SAN BRUNO, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 17, 2011) - [ Responsys, Inc. ] (NASDAQ: [ MKTG ]), the leading provider of email and [ cross-channel marketing solutions ], today announced the release of the [ Responsys Email Engagement & Deliverability Study ], which found that many leading retailers are underutilizing segmentation and triggered emails to maintain subscriber engagement.

"Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are increasingly using engagement metrics to determine which emails they deliver to their users' inboxes," said Kevin Senne, Director of Deliverability & ISP Relations at Responsys. "Failing to re-engage and appropriately manage inactive email subscribers poses a significant risk to deliverability and revenue from email, especially during the holiday season when ISPs are inundated with heavy volume."

To examine the state of email inactivity management, Responsys subscribed to the email programs of over [ 100 major retailers ]. "We opened and clicked on the emails we received until one day we stopped -- and let 40 months pass," explains Chad White, Research Director at Responsys and author of the study. "At the end of that period of nearly three and a half years, we found that 54% of retailers were still sending emails, many of them at exactly the same frequency that they mailed their active subscribers."

Continuing to email disinterested subscribers that don't open or click puts brands' sender reputations in serious jeopardy, as the mounting levels of inactivity lower engagement levels among subscribers, as well as increase the chances of an inactive address being converted into a spam trap.

"If over 50% of an email distribution list has not clicked or opened a single email in one year, major ISPs will filter all the incoming email to a junk folder, even those messages going to engaged subscribers," said Heather Goff, Senior Deliverability Consultant at Responsys. "ISPs tolerate even less inactivity from high-volume senders with list sizes in excess of one million subscribers."

In order to consistently achieve high levels of inbox placement, marketers must develop a comprehensive plan to address inactive subscribers. [ The Responsys Email Engagement & Deliverability Study ] covers all the necessary steps to creating such a plan -- from defining inactive subscribers to re-engagement strategies and re-permissioning campaigns.

For information on how to obtain a copy of the complimentary Responsys Email Engagement & Deliverability Study, please visit: [ http://www.responsys.com/land/2011-email-engagement-study.php?cid=70150000000cDL7AAM ]

About Responsys
Responsys is the leading provider of email and cross-channel marketing solutions that enable companies to engage in relationship marketing across the interactive channels customers are embracing today -- email, mobile, social, display and the web. With Responsys solutions, marketers can create, execute, and automate highly dynamic campaigns and lifecycle marketing programs that are designed to grow revenue, increase marketing efficiency, and strengthen customer loyalty. Responsys' New School Marketing vision, flexible on-demand application suite, and customer success-focused services aim to deliver high ROI, increased levels of automation and fast time-to-value. Founded in 1998, Responsys is headquartered in San Bruno, California and has offices throughout the world. Responsys serves world-class brands such as: American Family Mutual Insurance Company, Avis Europe, Brooks Brothers, Continental Airlines, Deutsche Lufthansa, Dollar Thrifty, Lands' End, LEGO, LinkedIn, Newegg, Orbitz, Qantas, Southwest Airlines, and UnitedHealthcare. For more information about Responsys, visit [ responsys.com ].

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